Snow-resistant conductor

ABSTRACT

A snow-resistant conductor consists of protruding lines formed on the outer periphery of a conductor, the conductor is formed of a number of stranded round component wires and the protruding lines are formed in such a manner as to cross the component wires in the outermost layer of the conductor.

United States Patent Kurihara et a1.

[ SNOW-RESISTANT CONDUCTOR [75] Inventors: Masayuki Kurihara; Akira Takebayasi; Kazuo Goto; Norio Higuchi, all'of Sappora; Ryuso Kimata, Yokohama; Jun Katoh, Tokyo; Toshikazu Minyu, Nikko, all of Japan [73] Assignee: The Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd,

' Tokyo, Japan [22] Filed: Feb. 7, I972 [21] Appl. No.: 223,928

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 174/68 R, 70 R, 72 A, 119 R,127,128,129 R, 130,131 R,131 A,131 13,135, 136,DIG.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,515,293 11/1924 Whitehead ..174/127 .1451 Apr. 2, 1974 1,626,777 5/1927 Austin 174/127 2,609,653 9/1952 Peterson 174/128 X 3,296,357 1/1967 Greber v 174/135 X 3,316,345 4/1967 Toms et 'al. 174/40 R X 3,391,244 7/1968 M011 174/40 R 3,496,285 2/1970 Slethei 174/130 3,553,341 1/1971 Hurcau 174/6 3,571,863 3/1971 Logan 174/72 A X 3,641,251 2/1972 Liao 174/127 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,563,701 3/1969 France 174/135 639,040 6/1950 Great Britain 172/147 698,460 10/1953 Great Britain 174/135 734,092 7/1955 Great Britain 174/40 TD 320,902 5/1957 Switzerland 174/41 Primary Examiner-Laramie E. Askin Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Toren & McGeady [57] ABSTRACT 5 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PMENTEDAPR 21914 sum 1 or 2 3.801, 7 26 FIG. lb

FIG.3

' F'IGJ.

ductor, copper and other metal conductors, used for transmission and distribution lines.

Recently the demand for power supply has remarkably increased. Therefore, power supply systems have been extensively expanded and in instances the transmission and distribution lines are installed in hilly terrain where heavy snowfall occurs. Ordinarily conductors passing over hilly terrain and exposed to heavy snowfall are apt to have a large amount of snow formed on their surfaces. Whena large amount of snow gathers on a conductor, the increased load creates abnormal stress on the conductor, accessories and tower structures. As a result, such serious troubles as breakage of wire or damages to accessories may occur, or such serious accidents as tilting or falling of the tower may be caused. Therefore, the conductors should-not have a large amount of snow adhering to them.

There have been no adequate means developedto prevent the gathering of a large amount of snow on conductors. it has been suggested that one or more insulated wires be stranded together with a number of component wires which constitute a conductor. This conductor melts the snow with the heat generated by current passed through the insulated wires only when snow is found lying on the conductor. However, such conductor has not been placed in practical use because i of the following difficulties:

a. Structure of the conductor is complicated as a number of component wires and one or more insulating wires must be stranded together.

b. The conductor is difficult to make.

c. Jointingof the conductor is difficult.

- d. It is very difficult to supply power to the insulated wires.

e. Power supply equipment of a large scale is required for the insulated wires.

f. A- large amount of current is required to produce heat for melting the snow.-

g. Cost involved is very high.

Therefore, it has been strongly desired from the various fields concerned to develop a snow-resistant conductor which is free from the above difficulties and which can be produced simply and easily. The object of the present invention is to provide a snow-resistant conductor that satisfies said requirements and to prevent formation of a tubular layer of snow by forming protruding lines at the outer periphery of conductor in such manner as to run across the component wires of the outer layer of the conductor at a number of places.

layer of snow. It was revealed from these observations that the snow adhering to a conductor rotates along the lay of component wires of the outer layer of the conductor and gradually grows into a tubular snow formation. The tubular snow formation is most apt to develop when the temperature at the time of snowing is within the range of about 0 to 2C. That is, snow falling when the temperature is below 0C contains little water thus it is hard for it to adhere to the conductor, and even if it adheres to the conductor, it will be easily separated from the conductor by such external forces as wind, etc., since such snow is rather dry.

On the other hand, snow falling when the temperature is above 2C will melt almost completely as it adheres to the conductor. Even if it adheres to theconductor, it will be easily separated off the conductor by such external forces as wind, etc., and under its own weight; because it is heavy since it contains a large amount of water. But, snow falling when the temperature is between 0 to 2C contains such an amount of water as to make it liable to adhere to a conductor. The snow adhering to a conductor develops itself into a tubular formation through the following processes.

That is, since the conductor is composed of a number of stranded round component wires, it has spiral grooves at its outer periphery. At the same time as the conductor is supported with a sag,- it has an inclination against the horizontal direction. Furthermore, water film is formed between the snow adhering to the conductor and the conductor itself as a portion of the snow is melted. Therefore, the snow in an adequate amount adhering to the upper surface of the conductor receives a rotating moment which tends to rotate the snow towards the lower portion as the snow loses its balance by such external forces as wind, etc., thus the snow'rotates along the grooves at the outer periphery of the conductor, that is, along the component wires of the outer-most layer. The snow which is moved to the lower portion of the conductor does not come off. instead it adheres to the conductor by surface tension of water film existing between the snow and the conductor. In this state, more snow adheres to the upper portion of the conductor. And this snow also rotates, as it reaches an adequate amount, along the component wires of the outer layer of the conductor. This process is repeated until the outer periphery of the conductor is covered with a tubular snow formation. The snow covering the outer periphery of the conductor further receives newly fallen snow which'adheres to it; thus a thick tubular snow formation develops as such snow keeps rotating.

The inventors of the present invention reached the conclusion that in order to prevent tubular snow formation around the conductor, the snow adhering to the conductor should be prevented from rotating along the component wires of the outer-most layer of the conductor. That is, the rotation of the snow lying on the upper surface of the conductor is prevented and the snow is left there until it reaches such an amount that the effect of gravity on the lying snow becomes larger than the surface tension working on the interfaceof the water film existing between the conductor and the snow, the snow thus ultimately falling from the conductor under its own weight. This new method of preventing the formation of a tubular snow layer is distinctly different from such method as heating the conductor to melt the snow adhering to the conductor. The rotation of the snow adhering to the conductor can be prevented and tubular snow formation in an excessively large amount eliminated by providing at the outer periphery of the conductor such protruding lines as run across the component wires in the outermost layer of the conductor at many places.

The first object of the present invention is to provide a snow-resistant conductor which will not have any tu bular snow formation.

. The second object of the present invention is to provide a snow-resistant conductor having a simple construction.

The third, object is to provide a snow-resistant conductor which is easy to maintain.

The 'fourth object is to provide a snow-resistant conductor which can be very easily made, using already installed conductors.

The fifth object is to provide a low-cost snowresistant conductor.

The significant characteristic of the snow-resistant conductor of the present invention lies in forming at the outer periphery of the conductor such protruding lines orprojections which run across component wires of the outermost layer of the conductor at many places.

The height ofthe protruding lines or projections should be in the range of 0.5 to mm, preferably 1 to 3mm in order to attain good snow prevention.

Now, typical examples of the, present invention shall be explained in detail referring to the drawings attached. ,4 v I FIGS. la' and lb show a portion of the snow-resistant conductor according to the present-invention;

FIGS 2(a) and 2(b) show one'embodiment of the ring used in the present invention;

FIGS. 2(0) and 2(d') show, respectively, a modified embodiment of the ring used .in the present invention;

FIG. 3 to FIG. 6 show, respectively, modified embodiments of the snow-resistant conductor according to the p'resentinvention;

FIG. 7is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 4showing still another embodiment of the invention.

' FIG. 1(a) and 1(b) show a portion ofa snow-resistant conductorin which a number of rings, 3, 3 are attachedat the prescribed intervals around the outer periphery of a conductor 2 which is composed of a num-' ber of stranded round component wires, 1, 1,. in such a manner as to run across the component wires of the outermost layer la, la, la. of said conductor, at many places. The rings 3 are attached preferably at the intervals of onepitch length of the outermost layer of the conductor or at the intervals of less than said one pitch length. As the material for the rings 3, rubber, plastic or metal wire with rubber covering, having springiness is used. The rings are formed in a round shape so that their original inside diameters are a bit smaller than the outer diameter of the conductor as shown in FIG.2(a) and FIG. 2(b). For placing the ring 3 around the conductor 3, both ends 3' 3' of the ring 3 are opened and are fitted on the conductor 2 as if the ring is pushed onto the conductor 2. Since this ring 3 fitted on the conductor 2 squeezes the conductor 2 with its springiness, it cannot freely move onthe outer periphery of the conductor 2.

The ring may be modified as shown in FIG.2(c) and FIG.2(d), in which the ring is shown to have an opened and hooked lower portion.

The snow-resistant conductor of the present invention may have tapes 4 placed around its outer-periphery at the prescribed intervals in such a manner as to cross the component wires, 1a, la. of the outermost layer of the conductor 2 at many placesas shown in FIG.3. The width of these tapes 4 is preferably about one centimeter, and the thickness of the tape layer 4 placed around the conductor is about 0.5 to 5mm preferably 1 -3mm. A tape having a thickness of about 0.5 to 5mm may be wound in a single layer or a tape having a smaller thickness may be wound overlapped until the total thickness reaches about 0.5 to 5mm. Any of metallic tape, plastic tape, or rubber tape may be used.

FIG. 4 shows another example of the snow-resistant conductor of the present invention. According to this drawing a line-shaped material 5 is, in a spiral manner, placed around the outer periphery of the conductor 2 in such direction as crosses the component wires, la, la. of the outermost layer of said conductor at many places, that is, in a direction reverse to the lay of the component wires la, la, 'la.-. of outermost layer. For said line-shaped material, such rubber or plastic as is resistant to snow is desirable. Said line-shaped mate'- rial 5 is wound around the conductor in the course of its production, or it is applied to the already installed conductor by having a lashing machine run along the conductor. Two pieces of the line-shaped material 5 may be placed around the conductor in a'direction reverse to the lay of the outermost layer of the conductor or it may be placed around the conductor in'the same direction as that of the lay of the outermost layer, but with a different pitch from the lay pitch of the outermost layer, note FIG. 8. s

FIG. 5 shows still another example of the snowresistant conductor of the present invention. According to this drawing, a lattice 6 is attached in a longitudinal direction to the outer periphery of the conductor 2 in close contact with the conductor 2. The lattice 6 is composed of warp straps 6a and filling straps 6b as shown in FIG. 6, and is attached in a longitudinal direction to the outer periphery of the conductor 2in such manner that the warp straps 6a and filling straps 6b cross the component wires of the outermost layer of the conductor 2. This lattice'6 is attached to the conductor 2 in close contact therewith by putting together two fill ing straps 6b, 61; at outermost edges of the lattice in a butted arrangement and then bonding both straps together with adhesive tape 7 as shown in FIG. 7. As the material for this lattice6, plastic or rubber which is flexible and to which snow is hard to adhere is desirable. The thickness of the lattice is preferably 0.5 to 5mm. The lattice may be placed around the c'onducto in a spiral manner.

Next, explanations shall be made on the case in which snow adheres to the snow-resistant conductor according to the present invention so composed as mentioned above.

The snow adhering'to the conductor tends torotate along the component wires of the outermost layer of the conductor. However, protruding lines exist around the outer periphery of the conductor in such manner as to cross the component wires of the outermostlayer of I said conductor at many places. Therefore the snow adheringto the conductor is prevented from rotating along the component wires of the outermost layer by the protruding lines. The snow whose rotation is prevented by the protruding lines gets more snow adhering wires of the outermost layer of the conductor, assisted by the inclination the conductor has. The moving mass of snow is so heavy that a gravity force, larger than the surface tension at the interface of the water film existing between the conductor and the snow, works on it, thus causing a large portion of the snow to readily fall away from the conductor. As has been explained, the snow-resistant conductor of the present invention makes a large amount of snow that has fallen on it, re-

main on its upper surface by preventing the rotation of snow with the protruding lines, thereby making gravity work on the snow, which force is greater than the surface tension working on the interface of the outer film existing betweenthe conductor and the snow so that the snow is separated from the conductor.

As explained above, the snow-resistant conductor of the present invention will not have a tubular snow formation. Furthermore, this snow-resistant conductor can be obtained by forming protruding lines at the outer periphery of the conductor in such manner as to cross the component wires of the outer layer of the conductor at many places; therefore said protruding lines can be quite easily applied to the conductor during its manufacture or to any already installed conductor. This snow-resistant conductor does not need any troublesome maintenance. Moreover, the snowresistant conductor is very simple in construction and can be produced at low cost.

What is claimed:

1. A snow-resistant conductor consisting of a core of twisted stranded round conductor component wires with the wires on the periphery of the core extending in a helical path about the axis of the core, and ringshaped members extending perpendicularly of the axis of the core and positioned about and completely enclosing and in contact with its periphery, said ringshaped members extending radially outwardly from the periphery of said core and forming protruding lines on the periphery of said core so that the protruding lines cross the helically wound component wires on the periphery for preventing the formation of a tubular layer of snow on the periphery of said conductor, said ringshaped members grip said core and are secured against axial displacement, said ring-shaped members having a round surface in contact with the periphery of said core and the radial dimension of said ring-shaped members being in the range of 0.5 to 5.0 mm and being considerably smaller than the diameter of said core, and said ring-shaped members are spaced apart in the axial direction of said core at intervals not greater than one pitch length of said component wires on the periphery of said core.

2. A snow-resistant conductor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said ring-shaped members are formed of a springy material and prior to being placed on said core have an inside diameter which is less than the outside diameter of said core.

3. A snow-resistant conductor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said ring-shaped members are formed of a tape wound on said core to a thickness in the range of 0.5 to 5.0 mm so that said ring-shaped member grips or clamps said core, and said tape having a width of about 1 cm measured in the axial direction of said core.

4. A snow-resistant conductor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said ring-shaped members are formed of a rubber-like plastic having an inside diameter slightly smaller than the outside diameter of said core so that said ring-shaped member grips said core tightly.

5. A snow-resistant conductor comprising a core of twisted stranded round component wires with the wires on the periphery of the core extending in a helical path about the axis of the core, and a lattice member wrapped about and encircling the periphery of said core, said lattice member comprising a plurality of warp straps extending transversely of the axis of the core and a plurality of filling straps extending in the axial direction of the core, said warp straps and filling straps being interconnected, and means securing a pair of adjacent filling straps together for securing at least one said lattice into a ring-shaped member encircling said core so that said warp straps and filling straps extend across the helically wound component wires on the periphery of the core for preventing the formation of a tubular snow layer on the periphery of the conductor.

LPATENT UFMQE QG-RREQTEQN Patent No. 3,801,726. Dated April 2, 1974 InventorKs) v Me sayuki Kurihara et a1 It is certified that error appeers in the above-identified patent and that. said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the he ading of the patent l The filing date of Japanese priority application 46-11784 should read V --February'27, 1971--.

a Signed and sealed this 10th day of September 1974.

(SEAL) v Attest:

MCCOY GIBSON, JR. c. MARSHALL 'DANN Attestlng Office-r Commissioner of Patents 4mm Po-wso (id-69) usCoMm-oc scan-Pas .5, GOVERNMENT PRINTING QFFXCE i 15" -356-33l,

U'Ni'iss s'iw s PATENT O FFEZCE Patent No. 3,801,726 Dated April 2, 1974 Inventor(s) Ms sayuki Kurihara et al It is certified thaterrer appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading of the patent:

The filing'date of Japanese priority application 46-11784 should read V --Februa:y 27, l97l--.

Signed and sealed this 10th day of September 1974.

MCCOY M GIBSON, 3R. e c. MARSHALL'DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents useoMM-oc scan-Pas LLS. GOVIINIENT PRINTING OFFICE? 5., J6-33- LRM PC2-1050 (10-69) 

1. A snow-resistant conductor consisting of a core of twisted stranded round conductor component wires with the wires on the periphery of the core extending in a helical path about the axis of the core, and ring-shaped members extending perpendicularly of the axis of the core and positioned about and completely enclosing and in contact with its periphery, said ring-shaped members extending radially outwardly from the periphery of said core and forming protruding lines on the periphery of said core so that the protruding lines cross the helically wound component wires on the periphery for preventing the formation of a tubular layer of snow on the periphery of said conductor, said ringshaped members grip said core and are secured against axial displacement, said ring-shaped members having a round surface in contact with the periphery of said core and the radial dimension of said ring-shaped members being in the range of 0.5 to 5.0 mm and being considerably smaller than the diameter of said core, and said ring-shaped members are spaced apart in the axial direction of said core at intervals not greater than one pitch length of said component wires on the periphery of said core.
 2. A snow-resistant conductor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said ring-shaped members are formed of a springy material and prior to being placed on said core have an inside diameter which is less than the outside diameter of said core.
 3. A snow-resistant conductor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said ring-shaped members are formed of a tape wound on said core to a thickness in the range of 0.5 to 5.0 mm so that said ring-shaped member grips or clamps said core, and said tape having a width of about 1 cm measured in the axial direction of said core.
 4. A snow-resistant conductor, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said ring-shaped members are formed of a rubber-like plastic having an inside diameter slightly smaller than the outside diameter of said core so that said ring-shaped member grips said core tightly.
 5. A snow-resistant conductor comprising a core of twisted stranded round component wires with the wires on the periphery of the core extending in a helical path about the axis of the core, and a lattice member wrapped about and encircling the periphery of said core, said lattice member comprising a plurality of warp straps extending transversely of the axis of the core and a plurality of filling straps extending in the axial direction of the core, said warp straps and filling straps being interconnected, and means securing a pair of adjacent filling straps together for securing at least one said lattice into a ring-sHaped member encircling said core so that said warp straps and filling straps extend across the helically wound component wires on the periphery of the core for preventing the formation of a tubular snow layer on the periphery of the conductor. 